Serenity arrived at Maximus’s house feeling nervous. The bodyguard Maximus had assigned to her escorted her to the door, but her legs felt like jelly, and her hands wouldn’t stop trembling. Just the thought of running into Leonardo made her uneasy. She wanted to call Alden—she needed to talk to some
“In the Palmer family, divorce was frowned upon, especially after my father abandoned my mother. I couldn’t do the same. But if it had been up to me, I would have left her the moment I found out she was cheating on me.”“She didn’t deserve the life you gave her. Now I understand why I treated Mary t
“Maximus, before you go… I need you to sign this document. Otherwise, I promise you, Serenity and I are going to have a very good time together…”Maximus’s eyes widened in shock. All his children were at home. That bastard Leonardo had planned everything meticulously, waiting for Maximus to leave th
[Bartz Mansion]Marcus and Valerie were slowly finding some stability. Valerie, now over six months pregnant, was enjoying a quiet afternoon in the garden with Marcus when a knock at the mansion door broke their peace. Camille went to open it, only to find the family lawyer from the Levett estate, f
A finely carved wooden door creaked open. A hooded man entered, holding a camera. Without a word, he took pictures of her and recorded her, ignoring her desperate cries.“Boss, I’ve sent you the pictures of the girl. The others haven’t woken up yet. I’ve got them separated, just as you ordered,” the
The same morning that Leonardo Palmer was claiming what he believed was "rightfully" his, Frank Levett Jr. appeared at the Valeria police station. He was pushing a wheelchair carrying what was left of a man—a frail, senile figure barely upright against the chair's backrest. That man was none other t
Frederick told her about how Marcus had fled to avoid certain death, knowing that if Frank Levett discovered he was still alive, he would hunt him down. He recounted how Marcus had narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in New York, where someone who resembled him had been decapitated as a warnin
As Marcus grappled with his arrest, Valerie unraveled the painful truth, and Maximus fought to navigate the chaos around him, a new layer of tension unfolded. John and Ethan, two young boys, were the last children waiting to be picked up from school. After a long wait, an armored vehicle finally arr
Alden held Celeste tightly as she wept, her body trembling against his. It felt like a part of her was being ripped away. It had already been a week, and still, there were no signs of Peter waking up.The swelling in his brain had gone down, but for some unknown reason, there was no neurological act
"I was thinking we could grab some vanilla ice cream and sit somewhere to talk. Sound good?""Perfect."We stopped by an ice cream shop and bought a liter each.As expected, she devoured hers.I watched her for a moment before taking a deep breath."Mary… there’s something I want to talk to you abou
After a few minutes, I helped Mary into the car. As I closed the door, I noticed Agnes stepping outside to see us off, drying her hands on her apron.Seeing her there—knowing she would be one of the many people affected by my death—I walked over and pulled her into a hug."You stubborn old woman… I
She hesitated. "Well… when you put it like that… maybe."I exhaled, running a hand through my hair."I have to admit something. You’re my least favorite person in the world.""Gee, thanks.""But you’re also Mary’s best friend. And you’ve proven to be a good friend to her. So, I just want to ask one
As I stepped out of my room, I was immediately greeted by the loud, unmistakable laughter of Aurora. God, that woman still got on my nerves… And to think that at one point, Mary had actually suggested that she and I could be a couple. According to her, since we were both wild, chaotic, and loved par
After finalizing the last details of my fortune, I picked up the phone and called the one person who had the power to change my life forever."Peter?""Marcus…""What’s going on? You don’t usually call me twice…""Well… technically, you called me earlier…" I said, trying to sound casual."What’s wro
"I just remembered I have something urgent to go over with Marcus. I can’t put it off—it’s about the meeting. I completely forgot. I’ll talk to my father and the doctor to reschedule our appointment. Just give me until noon, okay? This is really important."Before she could respond, I turned toward
[Peter's P.OV]For a few seconds, I just stared at Celeste.She was just a girl—well, compared to me, she was.She was thin, her curly hair as messy as always, and she wore glasses that made her look even younger. There was an innocence in her eyes, a brightness untouched by the weight of life.I sm
Alden’s stomach dropped. "What do you mean by that?"Maximus hesitated before saying, "I’m sorry, Alden… Celeste… But we have to be prepared for the fact that he might not wake up.""He will wake up," Celeste said firmly, her voice trembling with emotion. "He promised me. You said it yourself—Peter